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O. V. RICHARDS.

TOGGLE FASTENING FOR BUTTONS, 8w. ND. 373,309. Patented Nov. 15, 1887.

WITNESSES: I mynmom z BY .J/(wm ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS, FholoL'xihoguphtr. Wahinlhill. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES V. RICHARDS, OF SKOWHEGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND

ALONZO B. MERRILL,

OF BANGOR, MAINE.

TOGGLE-FASTENING, FOR BUTTONS, 84.0.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,309, dated November 15, 1887.

Application filed March 30, 1887.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHAR-LES VIRGIN RICH- ARDS, of Skowhegan, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toggle-Fastenings for Buttons and other Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to toggle fastenings for buttons and other articles, in which the toggle is of a longitudinally-slotted bar-like construction, with a crook intermediate of its length upon one side of the slot to engage with the article to be secured by the fastening.

Myiuveution consists in a needle-pointed toggle, substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims, whereby the same not only forms a slotted and crooked fastening for the button or other article to the garment or fabric to-which it is applied, but also serves to puncture and make its own passage through the garment or fabric when attaching the button or article to its place.

The invention may be used not only to secure buttons'to their places, but various pieces of jewelry, badges, chains, ornaments, and other articles.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, 1 in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal or side view of my improved fastening applied to a button; and Fig. 2, a side view of the same in position when securing the button to a piece of fabric, which is shown in section.

A is the slotted bar-like toggle, which may be made by stamping it out of sheet metal, or of wire suitably bent, shaped, and soldered or closed, or of vulcanite or any other suitable material, indicating the longitudinal slot or opening in it, and c the usual crook in it, intermediately of its length upon one side of the slot. Its one end d, too, is made blunt or rounded, as in other toggle-fasten ings; but its opposite end, e, is madesharp and pointed, or, in other Words, is formed with a needle-point, which converts the toggle into a puncturing device, the end d being the heel when so using it.

B represents a button' having an eye or loop, f, on its back, in free or loose engagement with the slotted portion of the toggle.

Serial No. 233,022. (No model.)

when required to fasten the button B to a gar- 5 5 ment or piece of fabric, 0, the needle-pointed toggle A is pushed or pressed and drawn, with its pointed end 0 foremost, through the fabric 0, carrying the shank or loop f of the button along with it. This leaves the buttonhead on one side of the fabric. The toggle A onthe other side of the fabric is then turned and slid lengthwise in a cross direction to the shank, eye, or loop f of the button, compressing the fabric as the advancing inwardly-protruding end or part of the crook 0 passes through the loop or eye f and drawing the button tight down to its place, after which said eye or loop snaps to its place in the crook c, and is held there by the elasticity of the fabric or the spring of the sides of the toggle.

By making the toggle needle-pointed, with a blunt opposite end or heel, the same, by pressure on the heel, is readily projected through the fabric to secure the button or article it fastens, as described, thus facilitating theapplication of the fastening and dispensing with a separate tool for making a passage through the fabric in order to insert the fastening and saving the time and labor consequent upon such previous puncturing of the fabric. Every facility, too, is afforded for drawing back the toggle through the fabric when removing the button or article and its fastening therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. A sharp or needle-pointed toggle-fastening for buttons and other articles, provided with a longitudinal slot and with an intermediate crook on one side of its slot, whereby said fastening serves to puncture and make its own passage through the fabric or garment to which it secures the button or article, substantially as specified.

2. In toggle-fastenings for buttons and other articles, the within-described needle-pointed toggle A, the same being constructed with a longitudinal .slot, 1), and crook c, intermediately' of its length on one side of said slot, and with a rounded or blunt heel, d, at its one end and sharp point e at its opposite end, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES V. RICHARDS. Vitnesses:

H. A. Dmstroan, E. D. QUIMBY. 

